Why I’m picking the A’s to win the West again

The demise of the A’s? Because of two starting pitchers? Look around the division. Compared with rotations in Anaheim and Texas, Oakland’s is still top shelf, plenty good enough to keep the A’s in contention through September.

The Angels’ rotation has Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson and three flips of the coin: Garrett Richards, who had more relief appearances than starts last year, and two lefties acquired in the Mark Trumbo trade: Hector Santiago and 22-year-old Tyler Skaggs, none of whom spent a full season as a big-league starter.

The Rangers scratched Yu Darvish from the Opening Day nod and gave it to Tanner Scheppers, the first pitcher since Fernando Valenzuela in 1981 to make his first big-league start in an opener. Darvish has a neck injury, and Derek Holland is shelved until midseason.

So the Rangers’ rotation is Sheppers, Martin Perez, Robbie Ross, Joe Saunders and Nick Martinez, none of whom were in the 2013 season-opening rotation. Texas also lost Jurickson Profar and Geovany Soto, perhaps for half the season, so missing Jarrod Parker for the year and A.J. Griffin until May doesn’t seem so imposing for the A’s.

Especially because they prepared better than the Rangers and Angels by opening spring training with a seven-man rotation, including Tommy Milone and Jesse Chavez, who’ll join Sonny Gray, Scott Kazmir and Dan Straily. Not to mention the bullpen is the division’s deepest.

Prince Fielder and Shin-Soo Choo joined Texas, and Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton are healthy, giving Mike Trout prime-time help in Anaheim. But pitching is the difference-maker, which is why we’re picking the A’s to three-peat as American League West champs.